First Zone Conferences

Here we are in the last month of the year already. After our transfers we had a few days of normalcy in the city during which I was able to get a few decorations up knowing that the rest of the month we would be traveling  again. So the house is festive and we have been out doing our first round of Zone Conferences.

We have ten zones which correspond to the ten stakes in our mission.  Previously they had divided the conferences in half, there being a little more than 100 missionaries in each conference. Since we wanted a little more intimate setting where we could be up close and more personal with the missionaries it was decided to have 5 sessions with 2 zones, about 40 missionaries in each session.  The conferences are from 9 to 3 with lunch served in the middle. We have a wonderful couple who do all the meals for us, including set up and clean-up whenever we need it.  The food is always really good and they always make literally tons of it. All of which is usually consumed.  My talk this time was on Exact Obedience as demonstrated by the 2000 stripling warriors in the book of Alma.  Dad spoke on the acceleration of the work of the Lord and acceptance of changes and other themes as prompted by the Spirit. It is such an amazing experience to prepare and then have the Spirit direct just what is needed for each group. We never gave the exact same remarks at each conference. 

The weekends were spent in Stake Conferences and giving firesides. I think we have 1 more Stake Conference before the end of the year. It is such a joy at each Stake Conference to run into our missionaries from Belem and their sweet families.

We hope that you are all taking advantage of the “He Is The Present” initiative and inviting your family, friends and neighbors to become closer to the Savior especially during this holiday season. We will be training our Zone Leaders tomorrow on how to direct this work in the field. We are surely hoping, as well as we are sure our family missionaries are hoping, that this will result in many more contacts, teaching, and in the end bringing many more to souls to a knowledge of the Savior.

A belated happy birthday to Jean, Ryan, and Tim and Happy Thanksgiving to all. We really do love you all and think of you daily as we kneel in prayer.